In May last year, Vodafone first announced details of a planned conversion of television frequencies in its own cable network. The changeover at the cable giant then began in August. Even then it was clear that the entire process would stretch until spring of this year and affect every household with cable reception via Vodafone. After a break in the conversion process, which was mainly due to the World Cup, Vodafone is now continuing. The next changes will take place from this week onwards
Vodafone wants to standardize the frequencies that have previously been used in different regions. This ensures order and also enables the provider to offer faster Internet via cable in the medium term. The disadvantage: Numerous TV stations and radio programs are given a new frequency as a result. There are up to 350 TV and radio programs in total.
The adaptation in the regional TV technology locations (hub) takes place step by step from hub to hub over a period of several months. The frequency reallocation for the more than 13 million cable TV customers should then be completed in April.
Those are the changeover dates
Little by little, Vodafone is working its way through all of Germany with its conversion. All dates are already fixed. Some of the changes have already taken place.
- 11.1.: Kaltenkirchen and Norderstedt (SH), Wismar (MV), Landau (RLP)
- 12.1.: Speyer (RLP), Neunkirchen (Saarland)
- 17.1.: Leer & Papenburg and Cloppenburg (Lower Saxony)
- 18.1.: Goettingen, Nordheim, Einbeck (Lower Saxony)
- 19.1. Magdeburg (SA), Lüneburg (Lower Saxony)
- 24.1. Recklinghausen (NRW)
In April it will continue: The focus of the changeover will then be in the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg. You can find out when it’s your turn to make the change on the Vodafone website at www.vodafone.de/frequenzumbelegung Interrogate.
Anyone who has a direct contractual relationship with Vodafone should also be informed of the change by post. The change also affects customers who pay for their cable connection through rent. Viewers who watch television via other cable providers such as Pyur/Tele Columbus or Telekom are not affected.
Many devices are designed to read in new frequencies automatically
The changeover of the frequencies will always take place at night. According to Vodafone, most TV devices would automatically carry out a channel search. According to the cable provider, many of the customers would not even notice the changeover. In particular, receivers from Vodafone, Unitymedia or Sky as well as modern televisions will automatically find the channels after the changeover.
Vodafone recommends its customers not to disconnect their receivers and cable routers from the power supply at the time of the changeover and to check the morning after the changeover whether all channels can be received as before. This should be the norm, especially with Vodafone’s own end devices, since the broadcast slots (LCN numbers) of most broadcasters do not change.
However, Vodafone also admits that a channel search may be necessary with older receivers from other providers. Depending on the device, it may be necessary to adjust favorites lists and reschedule recordings to get everything working as usual.
This is how the TV signal comes to you via Vodafone cable
To distribute the TV signal, Vodafone maintains a total of five large transmission centers. They are in Frankfurt-Rödelheim, in Munich, in Kerpen near Cologne, in Stuttgart and in Mannheim and distribute the television signal for the whole of Germany. In the broadcasting centers, the incoming data from the TV stations are processed into broadcastable signals and then flow from there into the regional distribution network. This is where the so-called “hubs” are located. These are regional technology locations that supply the various regions and catchment areas with the digital TV signal. In addition, regional TV programs are added to the data stream here.
Vodafone made changes to the cable program last year, such as introducing a uniform range of programs. This was different due to the acquisitions of Kabel Deutschland and Unitymedia, especially in the area of niche channels.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg there have also been major changes in transmitters. Another change will follow in the spring: the analogue radio stations in the cable will be switched off. The previous digital activation of the radio stations is currently beginning here. In the other federal states there are already no more analogue radio stations – but digital radio instead.
